Pontoon floating deck for tanks



Nov. 6, 1934. A. A. KRAMER PON'I'OON FL OATING DECK FOR TANKS Filed Sept. 28, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 m 7 MN Q MN. Q mi km mw QR v ww 4 k aw Q R my E & Q 3 J A L L l\ t K r k a l 5 Q 5:19? Q Q Q v Q a Q MN 3 vi kn cw nh uh N T 1K. 4 M m W fl NN unn Wu NOV. 6, 1934. A A. KRAMER I 1,979,272

v PONTOON FLOATING DECK FQR TANKS Filed Sept. 28, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 2a 4 s1 J 1 2140 0 2a a 4 9 5 a7 12 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

NOV. 6, 1934. KRAMER 1,979,272

PONTOON FLOATING DECK FOR TANKS Filed Sept. 28, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVEN TOR.

flizareu/ fl. Kramer ATTORNEY.

Nov. 5, 1934. KR 1,979,272

PONTOON FLOATING DECK FOR TANKS Filed Sept. 28, 1927 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 v INVENTOR.

flzzarezz/ fl. Kramer A TTORNE Y.

' Patented Nov. 6, 1934 PATENT OFFICE PONTOON FLUATIN G DECK FOR TANKS Andrew A. Kramer, Kansas City, Mo., assignor to George D. Beardsley, Kansas City, Mo.

Application September 28, 1927, Serial No. 222,555

3 Claims.

My invention relates to tanks and more particularly to floating deck tanks.

It is a purpose of my invention to provide a floating deck tank of the pontoon type wherein the floating deck is made up of a plurality of pontoons secured together to form a floating unit. The purpose of providing the plurality of pontoons is to make it possible to ship the deck in a knocked down condition and assemble the same without difficulty at the place of the erection of the tank or of the deck.

In order to accomplish this purpose my improved deck is preferably made up of a central circular member, in the form of the invention shown, and circular series of pontoons around the central member, although obviously the invention is not limited to a single circular series. In order to enable the decks to be shipped knocked down and to make it a simple matter to assemble the pontoons surrounding the central member, said circular series of pontoons is preferably made up of segmental pontoon members.

It has been found desirable to brace the pontoon floating deck, made up of segmental members surrounding the central member, and

it has also been found to be desirable to secure the pontoons together along the side edges thereof that adjoin each other, and preferably said securing means is so constructed that the same can be readily applied and will firmly hold the pontoons in assembled position.

It is a further-purpose of my invention to provide a pontoon floating deck of the above mentioned character which has means of draining liquid off the pontoons surrounding the central member onto the central member. The central member is preferably provided with a drain well and in the form of invention shown the liquid is drawn from the pontoons directly into the well, although this is obviously not absolutely necessary. Furthermore, means is pref erably provided leading from the drain well to the exterior of the tank that is adapted to adjust itselfto the various positions of the deck for conducting liquid from the well to the outside of the tank. The liquid referred to would, in most cases, be water reaching the deck due to rain. I

It is a further purpose of my invention to provide means between the floating deck and the side wall of the tank, within which the same is mounted, for closing the space between the floating deck and the side wall of the tank. Said means preferably comprises shoes carried by the pontoons and engaging the side wall of the tank.

Other objects and advantages of my invention .will appear as the description of the drawings proceeds. I desire to have it understood, however, that I do not intend to limit myself to the details of construction shown or described. but that I intend to include as part of my invention all of such obvious changes and modifications as would occur to a person skilled in this art and as would fall within the scope of the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. '1 is a vertical sectional view through an oil tank, with my improved deck in position therein;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the tank and deck, the deck being partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is a section on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the segmental pontoons;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a detailed, elevational view of the center post provided at the central member of the deck; and

Fig. 9 is a section taken on Fig. 8.

Referring in detail to the drawings my improved floating deck, is shown as being applied to a tank having, a bottom 10 and a side wall portion 11, which is cylindrical in form. Mounted within the tank is a floating deck comprising a central circular member 12, which is provided with a drain well 13 and which has the spider 14 mounted thereon that supports the center post 15. The spider may be of any desired form and is shown on the drawings as being made up of plates having cutout portions 16 and welded together at right angles to each other to form the spider. The post 15 is secured to the spider 14 by any suitable means, such as U-bolts 17 extending through the laterally extending flange 18 on the flange member 19 within which the lower end of the post 15 is mounted.

Said post 15 is made up of a tubular member and has an upper flange member 20 mounted thereon which is provided with a laterally extending flange portion 21. The U-bolts 17 extend around the narrower portion of the spider 14 formed due to the cutouts 16, and the feet the line 9-9 of 22, thus formed, are secured in any suitable manner. a", by means of welding, to the circular member 12.

The circular member 12 is provided with a peripheral upstanding wall portion 23, which is inset slightly from the outer edge of the member 12 to thus leave a projecting flange portion 24 on said member 12 and an angle member 25 is preferably provided for securing the member '23 to the member 12. Said central member 12 is also preferably provided with leg portions 26, having feet portions 27' thereon to engage the bottom 10 of the tank so as to support the same with the drain well 13 out of engagement with said bottom.

Surrounding the central member 12 are the segmental pontoons 28. Said pontoons are preferably substantial duplicates of each other and comprise a bottom plate 29 and the converging side members 30. Said side members 30 are preferably arranged so as to extend substantially radially of the deck and are connected together at their inner ends by means of the arcuate wall portions31. The wall portions 30 and 31 extend substantially at right angles to the plate 29. The outer ends of the side members 30 are preferably beveled off as indicated at 32 and an arcuate plate 33 set at an angle forms the outer wall of the pontoon. Thus a complete boatlike member floatable upon the liquid in the tank is provided. The member 33 is preferably secured to the member29 by weld-- ing the flange 34 thereon to the member 29. The outer curved edge portion of each pontoon is preferably braced by means of the channel member 35, which is also welded to the member 29. These are shown more clearly in Fig? 4. The segmental pontoon members 28 areassembled around the central member 12 to form a ringlike member, being secured together along the adjoining side walls thereof by any suitable means, but being preferably secured near the top edges of the side walls. In order to accomplish this, bolt openings 36 are preferably provided a short distance below the top edges of the side walls 30 and a channeled clip 37 is placed over the adjoining side walls 30 of the members 28, having openings adapted to be aligned with the opening 36 and the bolts 38 are projected through the same and secured in position by means of the nuts 39.

Each of the segmental pontoons 'is provided with a depression or sump 40 in the bottom 29 thereof near the inner end thereof. From the sumps 40 the drain pipes 41 lead into the drain well 13 in the central member 12. Said drain pipes 41 are each provided with an upward bend 42, a downward bend 43 and another upward bend 44 that is not as high as the top of the bend 42. Thus, the downward bend 43 forms a trap for liquid between the bends 42 and 44. The well 13 is further provided with a dome-like member 45 underwhich the end of the drain pipe 46 extends, the top end of the drain pipe 46 being at such a point that the well 13 will be filled with liquid to substantially the level of the bottom of the mernf'er 12, and the lower end 47 of the drain pipes 41 extend a considerable distance below the level of the liquid in the drain well; It will also be noted that the member 45 forms a trap in the drain well and that the drain pipes 41 constitute siphons for draining the water from the sumps 40 into the drain well 13. The drain pipe 46 may be made of any desired shape but is shown as being in the shape of an elbow so that the outer end 48 thereof extends out through the .side of the well 13 and has a flexible tubing 49, preferably in the form of a metal hose, connected therewith. The opposite end of the flexible tubing 49 is connected with the drain pipe 50 located in the bottom of the tank and passing out through the side wall thereof.

The central member 12 of the deck is preferably provided with hook members 51 that extend over the top edges of the walls 31 of the pontoons 28, said hook members being secured to the member 12 in any desired manner to thus support said central member from the pontoons.

The proportion of the pontoons and the central member relative to each other is such that the inner end portions of the pontoons are adapted to rest on the flange 24.

A filling material 52 is preferably provided between the peripheral wall 23 and the wall portions 31, 'said filling material being preferably of a fireproof composition which will prevent the passing of gases through the space between the said walls 23 and 31. Brackets 53 are pro- .vided on the pontoons near the outer ends thereof, said brackets having openings therein for receiving the upset angular ends 54 of the rods 55. Rods 56 havinghooks 5'7 engaging in openings in the flange 21 are connected with the rods by means of turn buckles 58. Thus substantially radially extending bracing means for the deck are provided, said means being adjustable and connecting the center post 15 with the outer edge portion of the deck, the turn buckles being adjustable so that the deck is substantially at the same level through .its area, the inner ends of the pontoons being preferably slightly lower than the outer ends thereof.

In order to provide a seal between the side wall 11 of the tank and the floating deck shoes 59 are pivoted to the flanges 60 of the channels 35 by passing the ears 61 on said shoes through suitable openings in the flanges, said ears being held in position in the openings by means of cotter pins 62. The shoes 59 are arcuate in form and have side flanges 63. Each shoe is also provided with a flange 64 at the top end thereof, to which the water deflector plates 65 and 66 are secured. The plates 65 overlap the plates 66 and rest upon side flanges 67 provided on the plates 66. The plates 65 and 66 are secured in position by means of bolts 68 and 69 respectively, the bolts 68 being provided with spacing sleeves '70 so as to place the same at the proper height corresponding to that of the flanges 67. The plates are provided with flanges '71, depending from the lower ends thereof. With the arrangement of the plates 65 and 66 it will be evident that any water falling on the same will be directed on to the deck, being received on the pontoons 28 and from the same conducted through the siphon drain pipes 41 into the drain well 13 and from said drain well through the flexible tube 49 and the pipe 50 to the outside of the tank.

In order to provide a substantially gas tight seal between the deck and the tank wall hooks '72 are provided on the shoes 59 which support the outer ends of basket members '73, having a slightly upturned inner end portion '74, the inner ends of the baskets adjacent the upturned portion '74 being slidably received upon the inclined wall portions 33 of the pontoons.

The spaces between the baskets '73 are bridged by means of flexible fibrous material, '75 which deck.

In order to support the deck along the outer edge portion thereof, when the same is in its 2. In combination with a tank wall portion, of a floating deck comprising a plurality of toward said drain well.

3. In a floating deck of the character decribed,

wall and having a tendency to move outwardly inclined wall by ANDREW A. KRAMER. 

